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Ben Folds / Nick Hornby Lyrics

I know you
The singer is confident that they know the person they are addressing.

You think I don't but I do
The person being addressed may be underestimating the singer's knowledge.

I've been listening and I don't forget so I can do this
The singer has carefully observed the person and has committed their personal details to memory.

I can pass the test
The artist believes they have enough information to pass some kind of test.

You went to school in Chicago
The person being addressed attended school in Chicago.

Your mom's maiden name is Dupree
The person’s mother's maiden name is Dupree.

Your favorite actor is DeNiro
Robert DeNiro is the person's favorite actor.

Your birthday's 03/08/83
The person was born on March 8th, 1983.

C-H-I-C-A-G-O
The artist spells out the word 'Chicago'.

D-U-P-R-E-E
The artist spells out the name 'Dupree'.

D-E-N-I-R-O
The singer spells out the name 'DeNiro'.

You think it's weird but it's not
The person being addressed may find the artist's knowledge of their personal life strange.

You're all looking at it all upside down
The person being addressed may not be interpreting the situation correctly.

It actually means I really love you
The singer is implying that their knowledge of the person's life demonstrates how much they care about them.

You used have a dog called Montey
The person used to have a dog named Montey.

You only drink chardonnay
The person’s preferred alcoholic beverage is chardonnay.

Your sister's pet name is CeeCee
The person’s sister’s nickname is CeeCee.

You have a thing for David Blaine
The person is attracted to David Blaine.

M-O-N-T-E-Y
The singer spells out the name 'Montey'.

C-H-A-R-D-O-N-N-A-Y
The artist spells out the word 'chardonnay'.

C-E-E-C-E-E
The artist spells out the name 'CeeCee'.

And I know you
The artist reiterates that they know the person being addressed.

You think I'm blind but I'm not
The person being addressed may think that the singer is unaware of their actions.

I've been watching and what I've noticed is distraction, boredom and vacancy
The artist has been observing the person's behavior and has noticed that they are easily distracted, bored, and disengaged.

I know your favorite dish (P-R-I-M-A V-E-R-A)
The person’s favorite dish is 'primavera'.

I know your favorite band (Polyphonic S-P-R-E-E)
The person’s favorite band is Polyphonic Spree.

You spent a year in Barcelona (B-A-R-C-E-L-O-N-A)
The person spent a year living in Barcelona.

That asshole's name was Anthony
The person had a negative experience with someone named Anthony.

Turns out you never went to T-U-L-S-A
The person being addressed did not actually go to Tulsa.

To see your old roommate J-A-N-E
The person being addressed went to see a roommate named Jane.

I think my middle name is S-U-C-K-E-R
The singer is admitting that they feel foolish or naïve.

And I was born yesterday
The artist is jokingly suggesting that they are very gullible.

I don't know you
The artist admits that they were mistaken in thinking that they knew the person being addressed.

I thought I did but I don't
The artist was initially confident in their knowledge, but now realizes that they were wrong.

I wasn't listening, not to the right things
The singer acknowledges that they missed important details about the person's life.

One day I won't even remember your face
The artist is admitting that their relationship with the person is not significant enough for them to remember their appearance indefinitely.